Initially, atomic bomb was developed to counter the assumed Nazi German bomb project. The US, Britain and Canada jointly formed the Manhattan Project to develop this fatally explosive device from nuclear reaction. The team succeeded. The weapons were detonated over the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The bombing resulted in the lost of over 200,000 lives, the radiation injury to many thousand and Japan’s surrender. This event put the Pacific War and then the World War II to an end. Nuclear weapons detonated during World War II were in fact the only two atomic bombs ever used in history.

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Radar

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The process of developing radar began as early as the 19th century when Hertz noticed that radio waves could be reflected from solid object. Several other scientists had also been aware of this phenomenon but no one moved further with their discoveries. Serious study of this device as detection system as we know today only began in 1935 in Britain by a team led by Watson-Watt. The team produced a successful prototype that can determine the direction, speed, altitude and range of both fixed and moving objects including ships and aircraft. The prototype then became the basis of Great Britain’s radar network. This invention improved the allied forces surveillance system and had contributed to their victory.

Penicillin

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Death of thousands of soldiers due to infected injuries during World War II had prompted the US government to mass produce this new type of medicine that had previously been neglected by the pharmacy industry. Started as early as 1928, penicillin, the first antibiotic groups known to the world, was discovered by Alexander Fleming when he noticed that specific fungi grown accidentally on top of his petri dish had stopped the development of bacteria. However, lack of media of mass production and government interest had made him set aside his invention and move on to another research. In 1939 Howard Florey, an Australian scientist, successfully tried penicillin on mice and proved it to be harmless and effective to fight infection. Florey then headed a research team to devise method of mass-producing penicillin. The mass production began in the US in 1944. It reduced the number of deaths and amputation cases during World War II significantly.

British Bombe

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In World War II, the German utilized machine-encrypted signals called “enigma” to send secret military messages all around the world. Many methods had been tried to decrypt the enigma, and the most successful effort was the discovery of an electromechanical devise, the Bombe machine in 1939 by Alan Turing, an English mathematician and cryptanalysis. Turing had also influenced the development of modern computer. Bombe machine’s job was to discover the work of set of rotors inside enigma. This knowledge enabled the allies to understand messages sent by enigma within German military networks. 178 messages were broken during 1940s by two bombe machines.

Jet Aircraft 

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Frank Whittle, a British Royal Air Force (RAF) engineer, had developed the concept of an aircraft that does not need any propeller and can fly at higher altitudes since the late 1930s. He finally succeeded in formulating fundamental details that led to the creation of jet engine. Unfortunately, he failed to attract the attention of the British government. However, with limited funding, his firm, Power Jets Ltd managed to create a prototype which ran in 1937. The Air Ministry finally took interest in the design following this success. A contract with the government was secured in 1940. A British experimental jet plane first took off in 1941. The US produced another prototype using Whittle engine which flew in 1942. This discovery had contributed to speed up the end of World War II.

Research and development in the 20 century has brought in many areas, some literally groundbreaking discoveries that could significantly affect the direction and herald the next evolution of mankind. 21st CENTURY compiling and submitting their ranking.

1st Penicillin: 
The discovery of the first effective antibiotic, which ultimately could save millions of lives around the itch occurred in 1928, actually a complete accident. Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming, who worked in a London hospital Wed Mary on the research use of biological agents in the laboratory, forgot before leaving for vacation to clean one Petri dish in which they reclaimed the staphylococcal bacteria

2nd Telegraphy: 
The invention of wireless telegraphy, it invents primarily an Italian scientist Marconi. Then Marconi was inspired by his own experiments that stated by several years before by a German physicist Heinrich Hertz, who demonstrated the existence of invisible electromagnetic waves that move the air speed of light. 

3rd Atom bomb: 
The discovery that a nuclear fission emits large amounts of energy, led to the production of nuclear weapons. The construction of the first atomic bomb worked in U.S. labs in Los Angels, the best scientists, such as Albert Einstein.

4th Structure of DNA:
In 1928 English bacteriologist Frederick found Griffiths, the nature of genes is a chemical substance which was later identified as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and has been shown that the genetic information determining the uniqueness of every living organism is encoded in it now. To discover the structure of this information and the creation of the model in the form of a double helix is the trio of scientists: James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins. 

 5th Contraceptive pill:
The early fifties of the last century (1951) managed to U.S. chemist Carl Jurassic produce synthetic hormone by norethisterone, which became the basis for the contraceptive pill. First came up with the idea of hormonal contraception early twenties Austrian Professor Ludwig, based on the fact that during pregnancy a woman not become pregnant again because her ovaries produce the hormone progesterone

6th Motorized aircraft:
The first operational aircraft engine in the world constructed in 1903 by Americans, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Their Flyer was built of wood and materials, reinforced with wire and equipped with two propellers push that engine of its own production, water cooled in line with four cylinders. 

 7th Computer:
Modern history of computer dates back to 1941 when a German civil engineer Konrad Zuse constructed the first programmable computer Z3. He had a 2600 telephone relays, worked in the binary system, floating point, and its speed was 50 arithmetic operations per second. Its external control program was written to tape from traditional film. 

 8th Internet 
Beginning of the 60 years during the Cold War, the U.S. was conceived to establish a network linking the major academic, government and strategic computer. This network was designed to operate reliably without the main control center and be able to run even if the failure of one of the nodes, for example, as a result of military action. Its public premiere of the network, called ARPANET occurred during the 1972 International Conference on Computer Communication (International Conference on Computer Communications). Subsequently, this network, consisting of four communication nodes, joined by 25 other academic units, especially universities and research institutes. During the seventies, the basic network began to connect other networks that have emerged out of the ARPANET, as well as outside the U.S. This resulted in a number of interconnected networks known each other from the beginning as the ARPA Internet, which then remained present indications the Internet. 

9th Cellular phone 
The first mobile radio equipment for the public presented 17th June 1946 by AT & T and Southwestern Bell in St. Louis American. Telephones were installed in cars and make use of six channels in the band of 150 MHz. Later, due to the frequent interference, even in use only three channels. These mobile stations were not too powerful, and therefore the connecting link through the central office. The success of this system started another wave of research on wireless transmissions in December 1947 published DH Ring and WR Young at Bell Laboratories internal material of the first description of the principles cellular mobile networks. This principle of dividing the network into small areas called cells and each of them worked for the transmitter and receiver, while running across a network controlled central command center. A significant advantage compared with the previous network was to re-use of frequencies, i.e. different cells may use the same frequencies and their phone when switching from one cell to another according to adapt to the situation.

10th Windows 
The basic software any modern computer’s operating system that provides communication between the user and the computer hardware interface. The first operating system developed for the IBM PC, MS DOS was Microsoft that was launched in 1981. This system, although it led to the pervasive use of personal computers, but had many shortcomings. 

Radar – WWII

Scientists had been experimenting with this technology having noticed communications interrupted by objects. However it was not until the Battle of Britain, that the “Battle of the Beams” truly began. Huge espionage campaigns began as each side tried to discover the others technology. Despite Germany’s superior technology Britain with Watson-Watt transformed the technology into a working network that could identify enemy planes approaching fighters to intercept. The radar battle still rages today with the development of Stealth bombers, which avoid detection due to a radar absorbent surface and by bouncing radar beams off at angles.

Peacetime Radar Uses:

• Co-ordinate everything from airports to cruise liners
• Predict weather by locating precipitation
• Track migration patterns of animals
• NASA use radar to ensure no birds are caught underneath a shuttle launch!
• Catch speeding motorists

Microwave Oven – Cold War

The microwave oven was a discovered by accident by war hero and scientist Percy Spencer. Spencer noticed that the peanut and chocolate bar in his pocket melted when he stood close to a magnetron, (part of a radar set). Spencer experimented placing popcorn kernels and raw eggs in front of the device and observed them exploding. Spencer manufactured the first microwave oven, weighing in at an impressive 750 pounds and over five feet tall. Soon the microwave oven caught on and now can be found in almost every kitchen!

Superglue – WWII

Superglue was discovered by Harry Coover during WWII. Coover was trying to find a material to produce plastic gun sites with. Superglue proved completely unsuited to the task, as it stuck to everything it came into contact with. Now 90% of family homes possess a tube of Cyanoacrylates.

Uses:

• Sealing wounds
• Protecting skin of climbers fingers
• Forensic science
• Wood finish

Penicillin – WWII

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin shortly after WWI. Fleming had been dismayed that the only way to treat wounded and infected man was by using caustic chemicals, which also damaged the man, not just the bacteria. For years after its discovery Penicillin was priceless and was not available in a large enough quantity to cure a man. However in the build up to D-day, huge efforts by the allies insured that large enough quantities became available. This was 1943, twelve years after its discovery!

These inventions are pushed by hugely increased finance for research and the intense competition from the “enemy”; this forces scientific collaboration within each side during wars. What benefits will we see emerging from current war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq?

1. Potato Chips – Discovered: Saratoga Springs, New York

   

   Chef George Crum made the interesting discovery of potato chips after a customer complained to him about his potato fries being cut way too thick. Being a wise guy he sliced a potato paper thin and then fried it to a crisp. The diner loved it, thus creating the world’s very first potato chip.

2. Viagra – Discovered: Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

   

   Viagra was discovered by men who were being treated with an erectile dysfunction. It was first discovered in the town of Merthyr Tydfil with the trial medicines they thought could cure the dysfunction. It has since become well known as Viagra, and is used as a male enhancement.

3. Silly Putty – Discovered: New York

   

   Silly Putty was discovered in the 1940s by a general electric scientist named James Wright while he was trying to create a synthetic rubber to use for the war. He mixed boric acid and silicon oil and got Silly Putty. Since then it has become one of the world’s most popular toys. One favorite past time includes sticking it on a newspaper and pulling it off to reveal the imprint of the comic.

4. LSD – Discovered: Switzerland

   

   LSD was discovered by a Swiss chemist named Albert Hoffman. It was the world’s first acid hit. The year was 1943, and he had been working with a chemical called lysergic acid diethylamide. The initial reason for his research was related to childbirth. After the first try he attempted even a larger dose of it and made another discovery, the bad trip.

5. Microwave Ovens – Discovered: Massachusetts

   

   Microwave Ovens were discovered in 1946 when a magnetron melted a candy bar in Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer’s pocket. Microwave emitters powered the Allies radar in WWII.

6. Penicillin – Discovered: Scotland

   

   A Scottish scientist named Alexander Fleming was looking into a cure for the flu in 1928 when he noticed that a blue-green mold had infected one of his Petri dishes, and it had killed the staphylococcus bacteria that had been growing in it. The world’s most effective cure was actually discovered due to a contamination in the lab. What a unique coincidence!

7. X-Rays – Discovered: Germany

   

   X-rays were discovered in the 19th century by several scientists toying with penetrating rays that were emitted when electrons struck a metal target. It wasn’t fully workable until 1895 when a German scientist named Wilhelm Röntgen tried sticking different objects in front of the radiation and saw the bones on his hand projected onto the wall behind him.

8. Artificial Sweeteners – Discovered: Illinois; Maryland; Nebraska

   

   Artificial sweeteners were discovered in much the same way as penicillin. Three of them, Saccharin, Cyclamate, and Aspartame were all discovered in a one hundred year time period, and all by scientists who forgot to wash their hands after an experiment.

9. Brandy – Discovered: The Seven Seas

   

   Brandy was created by wine merchants during the medieval time period by boiling the water out of wine so that their cargo would stay fresh and take up less space when being shipped. After a while it was decided to skip the reconstitution stage altogether and brandy was accidentally created .

10. Vulcanized Rubber – Discovered: New York

    

    When rubber rots, it smells horrible unless it is vulcanized. The ancient Mesoamericans actually had their own variation of the process Charles Goodyear discovered in 1839. He accidentally dropped some rubber-sulfur compound onto a hot stove, creating the first vulcanized rubber.